Medicare Advantage

Wellcare Medicare Advantage in Delaware for 2027: 3 Plans, County by County

DOVER, Del. — For the 2027 plan year, Wellcare — which the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services groups under Centene (WellCare) — is offering three Medicare Advantage plans across Delaware, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source Files for CY2027. All three include prescription drug coverage, and two of the three are Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) designed for people who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid. This explainer is published by an independent Medicare education site; it is not the government, not affiliated with CMS, and not affiliated with Wellcare or any other insurance carrier.

Because Medicare Advantage plans are offered county by county, a plan that appears on Delaware's statewide list may or may not be available in Kent, New Castle or Sussex, and the only way to know for sure is to check the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov for your ZIP code.

What Wellcare Medicare Advantage plans are available in Delaware for 2027?

Wellcare is offering 3 Medicare Advantage plans in Delaware for 2027, and all 3 include prescription drug coverage. Every one of the three is structured as an HMO-POS, according to the CMS Landscape file.

Within that set, Wellcare lists 2 Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs), which are limited to people who have both Medicare and Medicaid. There are no Chronic Condition SNPs (C-SNPs) and no Institutional SNPs (I-SNPs) from Wellcare in Delaware for 2027. For context, CMS shows 7 other carriers offering Medicare Advantage in the state next year, for a statewide total of 38 plans from all carriers combined. The table on this page lists each Wellcare plan by name; the point here is simply the shape of the lineup.

Which Wellcare plans have the widest county reach in Delaware for 2027?

All three of Wellcare's 2027 Delaware plans — Wellcare Delaware First Health Dual Align (HMO-POS D-SNP), Wellcare Delaware First Health Dual Select (HMO-POS D-SNP), and Wellcare Simple (HMO-POS) — are listed in all 3 Delaware counties, according to the CMS Landscape file for CY2027.

"Listed in a county" means CMS shows the plan as available to residents there; it does not say anything about premium, benefits, network or star rating, and this article does not compare those details. The two D-SNPs are only an option if you qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid. The full plan-by-plan grid appears in the table on this page.

What is new or not returning from Wellcare in Delaware for 2027?

Wellcare is not adding any brand-new Medicare Advantage plans in Delaware for 2027, and none of its 2026 Delaware plans are being discontinued, based on a year-over-year comparison of the CMS Landscape Source Files for CY2026 and CY2027.

One plan has been renamed: what CMS listed in 2026 as Wellcare Dual Select (HMO-POS D-SNP) appears for 2027 as Wellcare Delaware First Health Dual Select (HMO-POS D-SNP). A rename is an administrative change in the CMS file; current members should still read any Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) mailed by the plan to see what, if anything, is actually changing in coverage for 2027.

How do I check whether a Wellcare plan is offered in my Delaware county and covers my doctors and drugs?

To confirm whether a specific Wellcare plan is offered in Kent, New Castle or Sussex County for 2027, enter your ZIP code into the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov; the tool returns only the plans available where you live. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE, which is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Once you see the plans available in your county, there are three checks worth doing before you enroll:

• Doctors and hospitals: Look up each provider in the plan's online directory, or call the plan, to confirm they are in-network for 2027. Networks can change from year to year.
• Prescriptions: Enter every medication you take into the Plan Finder. The tool will show how each drug is covered under the plan's formulary.
• Pharmacies: Confirm that the pharmacy you use is in the plan's network for 2027.

For the authoritative word on coverage rules, the plan's Evidence of Coverage (EOC) is the document to read.

What should Delaware Medicare beneficiaries do before December 7, 2026?

Before December 7, 2026, review your current coverage and compare it to what will be offered in your county for 2027; any choice you make during Annual Enrollment 2027 takes effect January 1, 2027.

A simple checklist:

1. Read the Annual Notice of Change from your current plan, which arrives in the fall and spells out what is changing for 2027. 2. Make a list of your doctors, hospitals, prescriptions and preferred pharmacies. 3. Use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov (or call 1-800-MEDICARE) to see every Medicare Advantage and Part D plan available in your ZIP code — not only Wellcare's. 4. If a plan looks like a fit, verify networks and the drug list directly with the plan before enrolling.

Doing nothing is also a choice: if you take no action, your current plan generally renews, with whatever changes the ANOC describes.

Where can Delaware residents get free help with Medicare for 2027?

Free, official help is available from Medicare itself. Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048. The Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov lets you compare every plan available in your Delaware ZIP code side by side.

For Wellcare-specific questions — a provider, a drug on the formulary, a benefit detail — contact Wellcare directly using the member services number on its website or on your member ID card.